23.
Though growing rapidly, Google still maintains a small company feel. At the Googleplex headquarters almost everyone eats in the Google café (known as &quot;Charlie's Place&quot;), sitting at whatever table has an opening and enjoying conversations with Googlers from all different departments. Topics range from the trivial to the technical, and whether the discussion is about computer games or encryption or ad serving software, it's not surprising to hear someone say, &quot;That's a product I helped develop before I came to Google.&quot; Google's emphasis on innovation and commitment to cost containment means each employee is a hands-on contributor. There's little in the way of corporate hierarchy and everyone wears several hats. The international webmaster who creates Google's holiday logos spent a week translating the entire site into Korean. The chief operations engineer is also a licensed neurosurgeon. Because everyone realizes they are an equally important part of Google's success, no one hesitates to skate over a corporate officer during roller hockey. Google's hiring policy is aggressively non-discriminatory and favors ability over experience. The result is a staff that reflects the global audience the search engine serves. Google has offices around the globe and Google engineering centers are recruiting local talent in locations from Zurich to Bangalore . Dozens of languages are spoken by Google staffers, from Turkish to Telugu. When not at work, Googlers pursue interests from cross-country cycling to wine tasting, from flying to frisbee. As Google expands its development team, it continues to look for those who share an obsessive commitment to creating search perfection and having a great time doing it.

24.
<ul><li>Microsoft has an innovative corporate culture and a strong product development focus that is designed to keep us on the leading edge of the industry. We believe that our employees are the company's most important asset. They are the source of our creative ingenuity and success so we empower each staff member to take initiative in solving problems, coming up with new ideas and improving the organisation. </li></ul><ul><li>Microsoft values diversity and respects each person's individuality </li></ul><ul><li>When you sell software to 180 million people, in 70 countries, speaking 150 languages, you can't afford to have a singular point of view. Microsoft employs people from many nationalities and backgrounds. </li></ul>

36.
<ul><li>We tell stories because we have something exciting to tell. </li></ul><ul><li>We tell stories to have fun, to entertain someone or keep them in suspense. </li></ul><ul><li>We tell stories to let other people know what we're thinking. </li></ul><ul><li>We tell stories to express our feelings. </li></ul><ul><li>We tell stories to teach somebody something or to explain something. </li></ul><ul><li>We tell stories to share ourselves to let other people get to know us better. </li></ul><ul><li>We tell stories to give people enjoyment. </li></ul><ul><li>We tell stories to get feelings out. </li></ul><ul><li>We tell stories to use our imaginations. </li></ul><ul><li>We tell stories to save our experiences forever. </li></ul><ul><li>John Seely Brown and Paul Duguid in The Social Life of Information </li></ul>

37.
Cognitive psychologist Donald Norman (1993) &quot;Stories aren't better than logic; logic isn't better than stories. They are distinct; they both emphasize different criteria. I think it very appropriate that both be used in decision-making settings. In fact, I rather like the ordering that often happens, usually accidentally: First the data and the logical analysis, then the stories. Yes, let the personal, emotional side of decision making have the last word.&quot;

66.
Storytelling and knowledge sharing <ul><li>“ Every afternoon our corporate knowledge walks out of the door and I hope to God they’ll be back tomorrow” – Jeffrey Miller, CEO Documentum </li></ul>

67.
Barriers to knowledge sharing <ul><li>Knowledge is power </li></ul><ul><li>Not invented here syndrome </li></ul><ul><li>People do not realize value knowledge has for others </li></ul><ul><li>Knowledge sharing is not my job </li></ul><ul><li>Lack of trust </li></ul><ul><li>Lack of time </li></ul><ul><li>Lack of top management support towards knowledge sharing activities </li></ul><ul><li>Corporate culture </li></ul><ul><li>Lack of infrastructure </li></ul><ul><li>Lack of confidence/Damage to reputation </li></ul><ul><li>No/insufficient rewards and incentives </li></ul>Knowledge sharing: the key to quality Retha Snyman (msnyman@postino.up.ac.za)(rsnyman@lantic.net) Dept of Information Science University of Pretoria

68.
Tools & Techniques … <ul><li>Water-coolers & Coffee machines </li></ul><ul><ul><li>Webber: “In the new economy, conversations are the most important form of work. Conversations are the way knowledge workers discover what they know, share it with their colleagues, and in the process create new knowledge for the organization.” </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>Source: </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><ul><li>Davenport, T.H. & Prusak, L. 1998 . Working knowledge: how organizations manage what they know. Boston: Harvard Business School Press:90-93 </li></ul></ul></ul>Knowledge sharing: the key to quality Retha Snyman (msnyman@postino.up.ac.za)(rsnyman@lantic.net) Dept of Information Science University of Pretoria